Translation Services FAQ

How do I send the document that I need to be translated and how do I receive
the translation?

Usually, all documents are sent by e-mail. When you ask for an initial quote, if possible
it is recommended that you e-mail the document(s) in question so that an accurate quote can
be given straight away. If you're not yet ready to send the document(s), please give a rough
indication of the nature of the material and number of pages/words involved.

If you don't have your document in electronic format, the most convenient way of sending
the document is usually to scan and e-mail the document in a common format such as JPEG, TIFF etc.
If you don't personally have a scanner, many large stationery and office supply stores can provide
a document scanning service.
In exceptional circumstances, documents may be accepted by fax, but due to the extremely poor
quality of fax, this is not usually recommended.

When the translation is ready, it will be sent to you by e-mail. Unless you specify another
requirement, the translation will usually be provided in Microsoft Word format. However, other
formats can be provided (e.g. OpenOffice, a plain text document, PDF, Excel/CSV etc) as
required.

Can I pay by credit card/American Express?

Yes. Please indicate when you make your initial inquiry if you wish to pay by credit card.

How much does it cost?

The price for a translation will vary depending on the nature of the document and
your requirements (such as timescale, languages and format). But as a rough
guide based on the pricing for some recent and common types of projects for translation
to and from French and Spanish:

the minimum price for a translation will usually be around 60-80 Euros,
and would typically apply to short documents such as CVs, letters etc;

5,000 words of web site copy would typically cost around 400-500 Euros, or
700-800 Euros for two languages;

to translate a compromis de vente into English would typically cost around 500 Euros;

a 10,000 word (15-20 page) report that included some jargon but was essentially
non-technical would typically cost around 600-800 Euros.

Other languages are a little more expensive. For example, translating a letter
into Italian will typically cost 80-100 Euros, and into German or Finnish around 150 Euros.

What countries is the service available in?

This is an international, web-based service.
You can submit a translation from any country. The only restriction is
that you must be able to pay by
one of the accepted international payment methods (Paypal, credit card or Moneybookers,
or wire transfer to a UK bank account).

What languages are available?

The French Linguistics translation service works with native speakers of a number
of languages, so that many language pairs are possible. The most common demand has been
for translations from and into French, Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese, Russian and Finnish,
but other languages are available.

Note that discounts are also available if you contract more than one language.

What's the advantage of this service?

A key advantage of the French Linguistics translation service is that it's being run
by a genuine language expert. This is not a call centre sitting on top of a "translation
sweatshop". Although I work in collaboration with other translators, I personally
have an input on every job, carefully selecting the right collaborators for your particular
project and continually reviewing their work. Many agencies simply won't provide this level
of attention to your text and essentially treat translation like a package delivery service.

What fields/texts can be translated?

In principle, texts on practically any theme can be translated. Again, the easiest thing to do
is to send your document and ask. Just very occasionally, a job may be declined because the right
translators or consultants are not available within your desired timescale, but in practice this is rare.

What is the minimum word count?

There's no minimum as such, but the truth is that very short translations may not be cost-effective.
On the other hand, within reason, a job consisting of various short files can usually be quoted for
as though it were one large file. Send an e-mail to the above address for more details.

Do you offer proofreading?

Occasionally, depending on the project. For more details, send an e-mail to
the above address.

When will my translation be ready?

When you make your initial enquiry, a proposed timescale will be given along with
the quote. Typically, you should allow at least one day per 2,000 words. Sometimes,
a longer timescale will be proposed (e.g. for texts for publication, an extra review process
will normally be proposed).

If you need your translation to be ready within a shorter timescale, please state this
in your initial enquiry. If necessary, the work can be split between several translators to
get it completed by your deadline. (Note that an additional proofreading stage would then
generally be proposed to ensure consistency.)

Can translations be delivered/performed over the weekend?

Yes, the service is fully available over weekends, although the rate
will sometimes be slightly higher.

Can you provide references/sample translations?

Yes. If you have a large translation job and would like to see example translations
or a list of reference publishers before going ahead with translation,
please send an enquiry to the address above. Please indicate the type of material that you
need translated: if possible, a sample translation in a similar field will then be provided.

Do you provide "certified" translations?

Potentially, depending on your country and exact requirements. However, it should be noted
that there's no single definition of "certified", and different organisations in
different countries understand this term to mean something different. So you should find out
from the organisation in question what their exact requirements are.